Seismic Survey Begins in West Oregon Basin Oil Field

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cody Field Office announces that a seismic survey on public and private lands in the West Oregon Basin Oil Field in Park County will begin this week.

Breitburn Energy Company (Breitburn), through Dawson Geophysical Company, will utilize a combination of buggy drilling and heli-portable drilling in the first stage of exploration in an area comprised of approximately 3,000 acres of public lands, 2,860 acres of private lands and 640 acres of state lands. The drilling stage is expected to last approximately two weeks. Aircraft and other equipment will be visible on both sides of the Meeteetse Highway (U.S. Highway 120).

In late October, the seismic survey will continue with the vibroseis technique and recording operations. The exploratory seismic survey will facilitate development of a 3-D image of the geologic structures and stratigraphy underlying this area on the west side of Elk Butte.

For more information, please contact BLM Natural Resource Specialist David Seward at 307-578-5900.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands.